West Bengal allows international charter flights

Easing restrictions, West Bengal government decided to allow international charter flights carrying Indian nationals with COVID-negative certificates to land at airports in state, a senior official said on Saturday.

restrictions on Vande Bharat Mission flights will, however, continue, he said. state government has written to Ministry of External Affairs in this connection.

state government has decided that presently only charter flights carrying stranded Indian nationals from abro having a negative test report (RT-PCR) conducted within 96 hours of flight departure may land at airports in Bengal, letter sent on Friday stated.

Accordingly, you are requested to kindly convey aforesaid SOP to Indian Missions and also to ministry of civil aviation for furr necessary action so that chartered flights following SOP may be scheduled with effect from August 10, it ded.

airlines should apply for a -objection certificate (C) from state government, specifying sponsor, number of passengers and ir details, and an undertaking that all passengers travelling are COVID-negative, as per standard operating procedures or SOP. A clearance from Indian mission in originating country or MEA is also needed, it said. 

(representative im from PTI)